Association of Cognition-Related Genetic Polymorphisms with Elite Athlete Status: A Meta-Analysis
Elif Akkuş1, Cemre Didem Eyipınar2, Yusuf Buzdagli3
1Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Atatürk University, Erzurum 25050, Turkey.
Genes
|May 4, 2026
Summary
Elite athletes show higher frequencies of specific gene variants linked to cognition, including COMT rs4680 and BDNF rs6265. This suggests a genetic association with athletic performance, though causation requires further study.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Sports Science
- Neurobiology and Athletic Performance
- Molecular Biology and Human Performance
Background:
- Athletic performance is influenced by physiological, biomechanical, and psychological factors.
- Genetic factors increasingly recognized for their role in individual performance variability.
- Polymorphisms in neurobiological genes are linked to cognitive processes relevant to sports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically synthesize the distribution of cognition-related genetic variants in elite athletes.
- To compare allele frequencies of specific candidate gene polymorphisms between elite athletes and control populations.
- To investigate the association between genetic variants and elite athletic status.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of 17 eligible case-control studies.
- Systematic literature search for polymorphisms in COMT rs4680, BDNF rs6265, DRD2 rs1800497, OPRM1 rs1799971, and HTR1A rs6295.
- Pooled analyses using a fixed-effect model to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals.
Main Results:
- Elite athletes exhibited significantly higher frequencies of the G allele for COMT rs4680 (OR=1.11) and BDNF rs6265 (OR=1.40).
- No significant differences were found for HTR1A rs6295, DRD2 rs1800497, or OPRM1 rs1799971 polymorphisms.
- The findings indicate a potential genetic predisposition associated with elite athletic status.
Conclusions:
- Specific genetic variants (COMT rs4680, BDNF rs6265) associated with cognition are more prevalent in elite athletes.
- Suggests a possible link between cognition-related genetic pathways and achieving elite athletic status.
- Results highlight association, not causation; direct cognitive assessments are needed for definitive conclusions.
Keywords:
cognition-related traitselite athletesgenetic polymorphismsingle nucleotide polymorphismsports performanceMore Related Videos
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